Question. I've been looking into using Super 8 for starting off with short film, since I can score the camera and film super cheap (if not free). I've been looking into runtime/film/superfluous things, and I've got a good read on that.

Here's the thing - two things, actually.

Presentation-wise, I'm looking at doing a tribute to silent film, but updating it. Read: I want to focus on the actual filming process vs spending too much time on audio (which I am actually familiar with). The question is, for making it more "modern," would you stick with 18 or 24 fps (if cost of film wasn't an issue)?

Item two: Since I have absolutely no experience with editing anything but digital video, I was wondering. Would it be feasible to do the filming, have it transferred to digital media, and THEN do the editing? I didn't know if it'd just be counterproductive, since places charge by amount of film for transferring. And assuming I didn't have access to any sort of traditional film editing. I'd have to make a few hour drive at the bare minimum.

Thanks guys! I love the look and feel of Super 8, that's why I'm wanting to give it a go. Analog man in a digital world, as Joe Walsh would say.

Last edited by VBoheme; 04-05-2013 at 02:28 PM.
Reason: Expounding and Stuff

Presentation-wise, I'm looking at doing a tribute to silent film, but updating it. Read: I want to focus on the actual filming process vs spending too much time on audio (which I am actually familiar with). The question is, for making it more "modern," would you stick with 18 or 24 fps (if cost of film wasn't an issue)?

Silent films were most often shot at 16fps. Then projected at 16fps.
However there was no actual standard so films where shot at anywhere
from 16fps to 26fps depending on the studio. But people of the day
saw the movies projected at the correct speed. We know silent films
to be faster because we usually see them projected (or transferred)
at 24fps. If you want the speeded up look of incorrectly projected film
in your tribute you should shoot at 18 and have it transferred at 24.

Quote:

Originally Posted by VBoheme

Item two: Since I have absolutely no experience with editing anything but digital video, I was wondering. Would it be feasible to do the filming, have it transferred to digital media, and THEN do the editing?

Not only is it feasible, these days that is the only way to edit super 8.
Unless you buy a film editing rig. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices
like driving a few hours when shooting film.

Silent films were most often shot at 16fps. Then projected at 16fps.
However there was no actual standard so films where shot at anywhere
from 16fps to 26fps depending on the studio. But people of the day
saw the movies projected at the correct speed. We know silent films
to be faster because we usually see them projected (or transferred)
at 24fps. If you want the speeded up look of incorrectly projected film
in your tribute you should shoot at 18 and have it transferred at 24.

Not only is it feasible, these days that is the only way to edit super 8.
Unless you buy a film editing rig. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices
like driving a few hours when shooting film.

Take this with a grain of salt, but iirc theaters used to play movies slightly faster to get in more showing per day. This obviously changed once sound became a thing.